Thursday, April 7, 2011

My friend Katie posted this questionnaire on her blog, and I thought it was a lot of fun to learn some new things about her. I hope you enjoy reading mine just as much! (And if you know what letter R is supposed to be, leave me a comment and I'll add it.)

A. Age: 32 (for 7 more weeks, anyway). I LOVE being in my early thirties, and I'd be really happy to sit here for several more years. Jim and I were married at 22, and it was so hard to find other young, settled couples in their twenties at that time. It was a lonely time of transition. In my late twenties I had to adjust to motherhood, and that was another enormous change. Here in my early thirties I feel like I'm finally comfortable, settled, and in the zone. I love this stage of my life!

G. Gold or silver: yes. :-) Usually silver for anything classic and gold for costume stuff, but I love playful silver too.

H. Height: 5'7" (?)

I. Instruments you play(ed): flute and piccolo... Music was a huge part of my school years. I won a concerto competition when I was 18, I was the drum major for our marching band for three years, and I was first chair of our concert band for three years. Oh, and I met Jim through marching band. I hope our kids love music and learn to play instruments too. (I can't imagine that they won't... They have music coursing through their veins.)

J. Job title: Mommy

K. Kids: Brennan, 5; Cora, 18 months

L. Live for ______: God.

M. Most embarrassing moment: After I graduated from high school and went off to work as a counselor at summer camp, my 11th grade English teacher offered to take me, Jim, and his best friend out for lunch at a new restaurant. (She had recently retired and wanted to stay connected to her students.) When we got there, we had to wait for a table and they handed us a new, crazy device I had never seen: one of the buzzers used in a restaurant paging system. (This was the summer of '96, and I lived in a small town.) When it went off, I asked to hold it and see what it was like. In front of my sweet, uber-conservative retired teacher, my boyfriend, and his best friend I made the dumbest word blunder ever. I meant to say, "Oh... It vibrates just like a buzzer!" But instead I inverted that statement. (You can figure it out...) I was mortified. And Jim's friend Mike just said, "So that's what they teach you at that Christian camp."

Ugh.

N. Nicknames: Lissa

O. Overnight hospital stays: I had my tonsils and adenoids removed as a young child and I delivered both of my children via c-section.

P. Pet peeves: I hate it when people are disingenuous, unreliable, or flaky. I also hate a cluttered, messy house (but have to live with one often, given my stage of life), and it drives me totally crazy when I strip my bed to wash my sheets and get too busy to remake it so I am forced to put on sheets right before I go to sleep.

Q. Quote from a movie: I couldn't come up with one if I tried. We aren't big movie watchers.

S. Siblings: One younger sister, Jenny.

T. Time you wake up: Between 5:30 and 5:45 on weekdays, and 7:00 on weekends. I used to wake up every day when Brennan would come into my room to get me, but this year I have been convicted about waking up before my children to have some "me time." I do not love getting up early, but I am a better mom when I can take care of myself before I take care of my kids. I take a shower, read my email, make coffee, and do my Bible reading, and when Brennan comes downstairs at 7:00 AM, I am ready to meet his needs and face my day. On the days when I sleep in, I feel it all day long. I may be more rested, but I am still somehow more grumpy and "off."

U. University attended: Grove City College, a small Christian, liberal arts college in Western Pennsylvania.

V. Vegetables: I like most vegetables, but I am funny about how they're prepared. I usually like them either raw or cooked, but not always both ways. For example, I like raw spinach and hate it cooked (unless it's in a dip and the flavored is masked). I love cooked broccoli and don't love it raw. I like steamed or boiled corn but don't like it grilled. You get the idea.

W. What makes you run late: Dashing back into the house to retrieve sippy cups, snacks, extra diapers, or to run the dog out one last time.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Besides the annual x-rays for my teeth (I'm an every-six-months-to-the-dentist kind of girl), I can remember having x-rays for two broken feet, a sprained knee, and pleurisy (while I was pregnant, no less). I was a figure skater for nine years, and I had all kinds of accidents, so I'm sure I've had other x-rays that I just can't remember.

Y. Yummy food you make: It depends on who you ask. Jim would probably say baked spaghetti, my mom and mother-in-law would sweetly tell you that everything I make is good, and Brennan would probably say he likes any kind of chicken or dessert that I prepare. Cora thinks I toast up a mean frozen waffle. :-)

Z. Zoo animal favorites: I love monkeys and underwater turtles. But I don't love the zoo. We have a membership and go a lot, but I go for my kids.

P.S. Feel free to “steal” this post and make it your own. Just make sure to leave a comment so I can come read yours!